Parliament, Tuesday, 28 March 2023 – The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development will this week from 29 to 31 March, undertake an oversight visit to Mpumalanga to assess the implementation and impact of the Presidential Employment Stimulus Initiative (PESI) on the agricultural sector.
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development received R1 billion as part of the PESI, in order to assist and provide relief to distressed farmers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The committee will look closely at the challenges reported by some farmers in accessing and redeeming PESI vouchers.
The visit further aims, among other things, to oversee the development of agricultural infrastructure that will enable market access for emerging farmers; assess the impact of climate change and related disasters on agricultural production and farming communities, including government’s response, and oversee the interventions intended to improve surveillance and control of foot-and-mouth disease, which has a negative impact on the export of cloven-hoofed animals and their products.
The oversight visit gives effect to Section 55(2) of the Constitution (1996), which tasks the National Assembly to provide for mechanisms to ensure that all executive organs of the state in the national sphere of government are accountable to it.
The committee will interact with various stakeholders and roleplayers, including representatives of all three spheres of government, traditional leaders, community-based organisations within the sector, and project beneficiaries. Site visits to the PESI beneficiaries will also be conducted as part of the three-day oversight programme.
Details of the programme are as follows: (Day 1)
Date: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Time: 9:00
Venue: The Capital Hotel Mbombela (4 Penny Gum Street, West Acres)
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT, NKOSI ZWELIVELILE MANDELA.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Nolizwi Magwagwa (Ms)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Cell: 081 716 5824
E-mail: nmagwagwa@parliament.gov.za
Arrange a tour